Now Is The Time To Book A Whitetail Hunt

Published: August - 2004

If you have considered booking a trophy deer hunt in Alberta, don't wait any longer. I have watched the hunting scene here for many years, and there are several factors that I think make this the season to jump on a hunt. First of all, it's "Let's Make A Deal" time for many Alberta whitetail outfitters. The general consensus is that bookings have been down since 9/11, even for outfits that used to stay fully booked. Consequently, a lot of outfitters are ready to work with you on price.

The second reason is that better-than-average moisture levels are keeping the country as green and lush as I have seen it in several years, and that could result in improved antler growth. The third reason is that whitetail hunting has changed quite a bit in Alberta. Mostly for the better.

Some 20 years ago your chances of seeing a buck-of-a-lifetime were good, but seeing one did not necessarily mean harvesting one. The technique employed back then was what was called "Run and Gun." In other words, you usually drove around the countryside morning and evening. That was before the wave of new laws regulating outfitting and landowner access came into effect. Nowadays, it is no longer acceptable to shoot from a road allowance, and high-speed chases are a thing of the past.

The way we hunt today you have a much better chance of bagging any given deer you see. Indeed, I have watched the trend in Alberta for two decades and the quantity and quality of good bucks taken has increased. Resident pressure is dropping, and private land hunting is allowing management practices to focus on developing trophy hunting.

Nowadays, the key thing is to be properly prepared for your hunt. By that I mean you need high-tech equipment such as a rangefinder and an exceptionally accurate long-range rifle. At least half of the hunts conducted in Alberta now involve bean-field-type shooting at bucks coming in to feed. Because a hunter must sit in a stand for hours on end,........(continued)